Conveyor mechanism



y 15, 1956 J. w. MENDELSOHN 2,745,706

CONVEYOR MECHANSIM Filed Dec. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

JEROME W MENDELSOHN 245.93 40 I4 BYW w 7%? United States Patent 6 i CONVEYOR MECHANISM Jerome W. Mendelsohn, Euclid, @hio Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,788

6 Claims. (Cl. 312-268) The invention relates in general to conveyor mechanisms and more particularly to a filing cabinet com/eye: mechanism of increased storage capacity.

When this invention is applied to a conveyor type filing cabinet, many advantages are obtained. The system includes a plurality of receptacles each suspended by the ends between two arms upon ofiset pivot axes in a manner so as to automatically maintain the receptacle in a horizontal position at all points in its orbit. The entire system is completely enclosed in a steel cabinet with an opening for access to a sele ted receptacle. This opening is set low and at that level which provides the maximum of convenience and efiiciency to a clerk who will do the filing or posting work in a seated position. The seated position results in greatly improved working conditions, hence results in a considerable reduction in personnel turnover.

in this invention, it is possible to orient the filed material in the receptacles in a new manner; namely, the short dimension of the file drawer or receptacle is that which projects outwardly from the entire file cabinet with the filed material placed in the drawer parallel to the short dimension. Thus the material is in the drav er at right angles to its position in conventional filing cabinets. In this new orientation, the filing clerk does the filing seated beside the long dimension of the drawer with the material under her forearm and elbow with the forearm parallel to the long dimension of the file drawer. This shortens the file clerks reach by eliminating the usual awkwar access over the end of a conventional type drawer. The fact that the short dimension of the file drawer is that which is moved out of the filing cabinet means a reduction to about half the previously required aisle space.

The offset pivot arm construction on the conveyor mechanism provides the means for supporting the file drawers or receptacles and for moving them in a closed orbit and provides the further function of maintaining the file drawers always in a horizontal position despite the center of gravity of the load in the file drawer. This multiple function results in a considerable reduction in the mechanization cost per drawer in the filing system.

Consequently, an object of the invention is to provide a filing cabinet which has a large storage capacity in relation to the floor space required, and one which presents each of the filing drawers or receptacles at a convenient height regardless of the height of the entire cabinet.

Another object or" the invention is to provide a conveyor type filing cabinet wherein the filing drawers move through a closed orbit and have guide and carrier means which prevent swinging of the drawers during movement thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor mechanism having receptacles carried on pivots eccentrically mounted with the pivot axes non-coincident and as a result the receptacles are carried always upright without twisting or binding even though the load in the receptacles is not balanced on either side of a reference line joining the two pivots.

2,745,706 Patented May 15, 1956 Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor type filing cabinet wherein file drawers or receptacles are moved through a closed orbit having a center line generally longitudinal of the orbit and with provisions for moving the file drawers toward and away from the center line so that the contents of the file drawers are more readily accessible.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had be referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a conveyor type file cabinet with the side panel broken away to expose the working parts;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified filing cabinet with the side panel broken away;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

The Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a conveyor type filing cabinet 11 having a front panel 12 and a rear panel 13. Side panels 3'14 and 15 join these front and rear panels to make an enclosure for a conveyor mechanism 16. The filing cabinet 11 may have any one of a num er of forms, and may be the usual rigid structural framework covered by a thin metal skin. The conveyor mechanism includes four sprocket wheels 17, 13, 19 and 29, which are journaled to the side panels 1 3 and 15 by the bearings ill. The sprocket wheels 17 and 19 are journaled to the side panel 14 and the sprocket wheels 18 and 26 are journaled to the side panel 15. A first chain 22 links the sprocket wheels 17 and 19 and a second chain 23 links the sprockewheels 18 and 20. Channel guides 24 are generally U-shaped and fastened to the side panels 14 and if? to guide the chains 22 and 23 in a vertical path without having the various links of the chain distorted from this vertical path. The guides 24 have been referred to as having a vertical disposition. As will later become evident, these guides and the entire filing cabinet 11 may be arranged horizontally, rather than vertically.

Each of the chains 22 and 23 has as a part thereof plurality of arms 28. These arms have an end portion 29 anda link portion 39 which forms one link of the chains 22 or 23. Receptacles 31 are carried by a single arm on each of the two chains 22 and 23 and comprise an outer box 32 and an inner box 33. The outer box be in many cases merely a framework or carrier for the inner box 33, rather than being a completely enclosing box as shown in the drawings. The inner box is generally known as a file drawer if this conveyor mechanism is used as a filing cabinet. The two boxes 32 and 33 are shown as being connected together for purposes of rigidity by telescoping channels 34. The outer box 32 is connected to the two arms 28 by pivots 35. The pivots 35 have axes which are parallel and which are normal to the planes defined by the two chains 22 and 23.

It will be noted that the two pivots 35 on any given outer box 32 are displaced vertically a given distance. This given distance is preferably equal to the vertical spacing between the sprocket wheels 17 and 18 and equal to the vertical spacing between the sprocket wheels 19 and 2%). This creates an offset condition of the two chains 22 and 23 and thus creates an offset condition of the orbits of the end portions 29 of the arm 28 on the two chains. If the offset distance between the two pivots on a given receptacle is not equal to and parallel to the offset distance between the two chains, then the receptacles 31 will not maintain a horizontal position as they move through the complete orbit. Thus it is preferable to have these offset distances equal to and of the same attitude although to have the receptacles tip at certain points as they pass through the orbit may in some cases be beneficial.

The front panel 12 has an opening 38 with a cover 39 hinged at the bottom thereof to cover this opening. One of the inner boxes 33 has been shown in dotted lines as being extracted from the outer box 32 through this opening 33. The opening 38 provides a means of access to each of the receptacles 3i and the dimensions or" the receptacles'may be varied to accommodate records of various sizes. Also the records may be filed in a plane parallel to the plane of Figure 1 of the drawings or they may be filed in the plane of Figure 2 of the drawings at the convenience of the operator. For further rigidity, the cover 39 may be used to help support the inner box 33 when it is extracted from the outer box 32. The channel guides 24 are provided to closely engage the links of the chains 22 and 23 so that they restrain the arms 28 from droppingbelow a horizontal position during the time that the chains are in the vertical portion of their path. The two chains 22 and 23 are preferably connected together by some means for synchronous movement. Sprocket wheels 40 are fastened to a synchronizing shaft 41 and are journaled relative to the filing cabinet 11. The sprocket wheels 40 mesh with the chains 22 and 23 by passing through openings 42. in the channel guides 24. This insures that movement of one chain will cause a similar movement in the other chain. The receptacles 31 provide an interconnection between the chains 22 and 23 which can be used for synchronous movement, however for smoother operation, the synchronizing shaft 41 and sprocket wheels 40 are provided. It will be ap parent that other methods of interconnecting the .two chains could be used such as a shaft with universal joints between the sprocket wheels 17 and 18. One advantage of the synchronizing shaft 41 near the center of the conveyor mechanism 16 is that the receptacles 31 may be made larger in height and/ or depth since they need not have any clearance relative to the center line of the sprocket wheels 18 or 19 as they would have to have with a shaft at these latter sprocket wheels.

The synchronizing shaft 41 provides a means for driving the conveyor mechanism 16 and this is effected by a motor 43 driving the synchronizing shaft 41 through a speed reducing drive 44. The motor 43 is mounted on a bracket 45 which bridges the side panels 14 and 15. 7 Obviously the motor 43 would have switch controls placed conveniently for the operator of the filing cabinet ii. The motor 43 may be of the reversing type for greater rapidity of operation.

The offset arm construction provides a conveyor mechanism which is sturdy and simple to construct and operate. The fact that the pivots on a particular receptacle have axes which are parallel and offset prevents these receptacles from swinging as they move through their orbit, especially at the arcuate end portions of this orbit. Further the receptacles have no tendency to bind r twist as they pass through their orbit even though the load in the receptacles 31 is off center relative to a line joining the two pivots on the particular receptacle. This is likewise true for the particular file drawer 33 which is extracted through the opening 33. The two pivots 35 hold the outer box 32 in a fixed horizontal position, hence the inner drawer 33 is likewise held in a fixed horizontal position. if the file folders are placed in the inner boxes 33 in the plane of Figure i, then the operator may be seated in a castered chair just at the front of the filing cabinet 11 with the top ofthe extracted inner box 33 at about the level of the operators elbow when the operator is seated. As a specific example, if the file drawers are to be used with nine by twelve inch file folders, then the file drawer would only need to extend from the front of the entire filing cabinet 11 by about thirteen or fourteen inches and the width of this file drawer as seen in Figure 2 may be about thirty inches. The operator or file clerk would then extract a drawer through the opening 38 and the file folders would be so positioned in this file drawer that the file clerk could easily observe the file folders all the way from one side of the drawer to the other side merely by rolling the clerks chair along the floor in a line parallel to the front of the cabinet 11. This position of the file folders in the drawer is thus at right angles to the position in which they are located in the normal file cabinet having only sliding drawers without a conveyor mechanism. In such prior art type of sliding drawer filing cabinet, the file clerk must lean over the front of the drawer in order to gain access to file folders at the rear of this drawer which is both time consuming and tiring for the file clerk. The present invention thus permits a disposition of the file folders wherein the filing procedure is made easier, as Well as less time consuming, thus resulting in a greater productivity per man hour.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a modified form of conveyor type filing cabinet 50 which has an offset front panel 51. This front panel 51 has an opening 52 therein with a cover 53 hinged at the bottom. A conveyor mechanism 16A is provided which again has chains and sprocket wheels vertically ofiset. First and second guide tracks 54- and 55 are mounted on the side panels 56 and 57, respectively, of this filing cabinet 50. Arms 58 are again provided as part of the chains in this conveyor mechanism 16A and these arms 58 have longitudinal slots 59. Receptacles 62 are each provided with first and second pivots 63 and 64 which pass through the slots 59 and engage the guide tracks 54 and 55 respectively. The slotted arms 58 and the guide tracks 54 and 55 thus become a carrier for moving and supporting the receptacles 62.

The guide tracks 54 and 55 are preferably identical except that they are vertically offset a distance equal to the vertical spacing between the two chains 22 and 23 p and equal to the vertical spacing between the pivots 63 and 64 on each receptacle 62. The sprocket wheels 17 to 21?, inclusive, define a center plane along which the section of Figure 5 is taken. The guide tracks 54 and 55 have a forwardly extending portion 66 and a rearwardly extending portion 67 immediately above. The forwardly extending portion 66 is just below the opening 52 in the front panel so that a particular receptacle 68 is disposed close to this opening for the convenience of the file clerk. The contents of this particular receptacle 63 is thus made available to the file clerk through this opening 52. The rearwardly extending portion 67 of the guide tracks 54 and 55 establishes that receptacle which is immediately above the particular receptacle 68 back away from this opening so that the entire contents of this particular receptacle 68 are accessible.

The synchronizing shaft 4-1 is again provided as a means of synchronizing the movements of the two chains 22 and 23 and in this case a hand wheel 79 has been provided to move the entire conveyor mechanism. For convenience, this hand wheel has been made of sufficient diameter toextend past the front panel 51. A friction brake, not shown, may be utilized with this conveyor mechanism 36A or with the conveyor mechanism 16 in Figures 1, 2 and 3, in order that the conveyor mechanism will not move except when desired.

It will be clear that either hand or powered operation may be used on either of the two modifications even though the powered operation has been shown on Fignres 1 to 3 and the manual operation has been shown on Figures 4 to 6.

It will also be clear, with the type of synchronizing means 40 and 41 shown in the drawings, that larger receptacles 31 or 62 may be used, thus further conserving space since these receptacles do not need to have a clearance about any shaft at the top or bottom sprocket wheels.

It will be apparent that the conveyor mechanism 16 of Figures 1 to 3 maintains the receptacles 31 in the same position throughout the orbit even though the arms rotate. The filing cabinet 11 could thus become a horizontal filing cabinet as seen in Figure 1 if this sheet of drawing is laid on its side. The filing mechanism would then probably not have the inner boxes 33, rather the outer boxes 32 only could be used with access directly to the file folders within these outer boxes 32 through the opening 33 or through a still larger opening in this panel 12, which then would be a horizontal top panel of the entire filing cabinet.

If the Figure l of the drawings is turned on its side, it will readily be seen how this entire filing cabinet may be disposed in a horizontal position. The distance between the offset pivot axes now has a horizontal disposition and the offset arms still maintain each of the receptacles 31 'm the same position as the receptacles move around the orbit. With this horizontal disposition, the entire filing cabinet could be similar to those now in use with posting trays wherein the entire top of the cabinet can be opened and at about waist high level. It is not necessary that the pivot axes be offset either horizontally or vertically in order to have the receptacles 31 maintained in the same position relative to the earth throughout their orbit. The construction which is essential for this feature is that a line joining the two pivot axes on a given receptacle be parallel to a line joining the centers of the two sprocket wheels at one end of the filing cabinet.

In the Figures 4, 5 and 6, the opening 52 has been shown near the bottom of the file cabinet 50, however it will be understood that this opening may be at any location on the front of the filing cabinet and similarly the forwardly extending portions 66 of the guide tracks may be placed at any position along the entire orbit. In this Figure 4, the opening 52 has been shown near the bottom of the file cabinet to be at a convenient level such as waist high level with a taller than ordinary filing cabinet height of about eight or nine feet. The fact that the entire filing cabinet can be made eight or nine feet high means that it uses formerly wasted space above the conventional filing cabinets.

The construction shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, which does not have a guide track, will permit the opening 38 to be on one of the side panels 14 or 15 of the filing cabinet 11 and the inner box 33 could be extracted along the long dimension of this receptacle 13. Further the entire filing cabinet could be used with flat trays of the posting type and hence several posting trays could be mounted in one of the outer boxes 32 for extraction along the long dimension of the entire receptacle 13. Further in this Figure 1, it will be seen that the entire receptacle 31 may be made larger than they have been shown and large enough so that they extend approximately to the center line of the entire filing cabinet 11. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the motor 43 and speed reducing drive 44 would interfere with such larger receptacles, however this motor could be replaced by the hand wheel of Figures 4, 5 and 6, or it could be located at some other point in the filing cabinet such as in one of the corners. In such case, a suitable drive such as an additional chain and sprocket drive could be provided from the speed reducing drive 44 to the conveyor mechanism 16.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame having first and second sides, a plurality of receptacles in said frame, only first and second guide and support means for said receptacles, said first guide and support means including a first and a second wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane near said first side, said second guide and support means including a third and a fourth wheel journaled in said frame near said second side and in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second flexible carriers with said first carrier linking said first and second wheels and said second carrier linking said third and fourth wheels, said carriers having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel, said first and third wheels being near one end of said frame and said second and fourth wheels being near the other end of said frame, the axes of said first and third wheels being substantially parallel and spaced a given distance and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, said carriers being of substantially equal length, a plurality of arms carried by said carriers and extending outwardly therefrom, and said plurality of receptacles each extending between an arm on one carrier and an arm on the other carrier and each receptacle being pivotally connected to said last mentioned arms, said two pivotal connections on each receptacle being the only connections between each receptacle and said guide and support means, the axes of said pivots being substantially normal to said two planes and the pivot axes on any one receptacle being spaced substantially said given distance.

2. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame having first and second sides, a plurality of receptacles in said frame, only first and second guide and support means for said receptacles, said first guide and support means including a first and a second sprocket wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane near said first side, said second guide and support means including a third and a fourth sprocket wheel journaled in said frame near said second side and in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second chains with said first chain linking said first and second sprocket wheels and said second chain linking said third and fourth sprocket wheels, said chains having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel, said first and third wheels being near one end of said frame and said second and fourth wheels being near the other end of said frame, the axes of said first and third wheels being substantially parallel and spaced a given distance and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, said chains being of substantially equal length, a plurality of arms carried by said chains and extending outwardly therefrom, pivotal means each having an axis substantially normal to said two planes, said plurality of receptacles each extending between an arm on one chain and an arm on the other chain and each receptacle being connected by said pivotal means to said last mentioned arms, said two pivotal means on each receptacle being the only connections between each receptacle and said guide and support means, the pivot axes on any one receptacle being spaced substantially said given distance, and means including at least said receptacles interconnecting said chains establishing concurrent motion thereof.

3. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame having first and second sides and first and second ends, a plurality of receptacles in said frame, only first and second guide and support means for said receptacles, said first guide and support means including a first and a second sprocket wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane near said first side, said second guide and support means including a third and a fourth sprocket wheel journaled in said frame near said second side and in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second chains with said first chain linking said first and second sprocket wheels and said second chain linking said third and fourth sprocket wheels, said chains having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel, said first and third wheels being near one end of said frame and said second and fourth wheels being near the other end of said frame, the axes of said first and third wheels being substantially parallel and spaced a given distance and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, said chains being of substantially equal length, a plurality of arms carried by said chains and extending outwardly therefrom, said plurality of receptacles each extending between an arm on one chain and an arm on the other chain and each receptacle being connected to said last mentioned arms for at least a partially pivotal movement, the pivotal connections between a receptacle and the two chains being about pivot axes which are parallel and spaced apart substantially said given distance, said two pivotal connections on each receptacle being the only connections between each receptacle and said guide and support means, the centers of all said sprocket wheels establishing a center plane, and support means including at least said arms permitting movement of said receptacles relative to said center plane.

4. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame having first and second sides, a plurality of receptacles in said frame, only first and second guide and support means for said receptacles, said first guide and support means including a first and a second sprocket wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane near said first side, said second guide and support means including a third and a fourth sprocket wheel journalled in said frame near said second side and in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second chains with said first chain linking said first and second sprocket wheels and said second chain linking said third and fourth sprocket wheels, said chains having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel, said first and third wheels being near one end of said frame and said second and fourth wheels being near the other end of said frame, the axes of said first and third wheels being substantially parallel and spaced a given distance and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, said chains being of substantially equal length, a plurality of arms carried by said chains and extending outwardly therefrom, said plurality of receptacles each extending between an arm on one chain an arm on the other chain, a longitudinal slot in each of said arms, a pivot on each of the two ends of the receptacles making a pivotal and sliding connection with the slot in the respective arm, said two pivotal connections on each receptacle being the only connections between each receptacle and said guide and support means, the pivot axes on any one receptacle being substantially normal to said two planes and spaced apart substantially said given distance, the centers of said sprocket wheels establishing a center plane, and a guide track in said frame engaged by the pivot on one end of each receptacle and having variations in distance from said center plane to shift the receptacles toward and away from said center plane upon movement of said chains.

5. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame, at least one receptacle in said frame, only first and second support means for said receptacle, said first support means including a first and a second wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane, said second support means including a third and a fourth wheel journaled in said frame in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second flexible carriers with said first carrier linking said first and second wheels and said second carrier linking said third and fourth wheels, said carriers having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel, the axes of said first and third wheels being substantially parallel and spaced a given distame and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, said receptacle including an outer box and an inner box interconnected by telescoping channels, said telescoping channels permitting extraction and retraction of said inner box relative to said outer box, at least one pivot carried by each carrier, said outer box extending between a pivot on one carrier and a pivot on the other carrier and being connected to said carriers for only pivotal movement, the pivotal connections between said outer box and the two carriers being about pivot axes which are parallel and spaced apart substantially said given distance, said two support means also providing guide means to maintain said receptacle in the same attitudc relative to the frame for all positions thereof on said flexible carriers and despite off-center loads established by extraction of said inner box.

6. A conveyor mechanism comprising a frame, at least one receptacle in said frame, only first and second guide and support means for said receptacle, said first guide and support means including a first and a second sprocket wheel journaled in said frame in a first plane, said second guide and support means including a third and a fourth sprocket wheel journaled in said frame in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane and spaced therefrom, only first and second chains with said first chain linking said first and second sprocket wheels and said second chain linking said third and fourth sprocket wheels, said chains having longitudinal dimensions substantially parallel and spaced a given distance and the axes of said second and fourth wheels being substantially parallel and spaced substantially said given distance, at least one arm carried by each of said chains and extending outwardly therefrom, said receptacle including an outer box and an inner box interconnected by telescoping channels, said telescoping channels permitting extraction and retraction of said inner box relative to said outer box, said outer box extending between an arm on one chain and an arm on the other chain and being connected to the end of said arms for only pivotal movement, the pivotal connections between said outer box and the two chains being about pivot axes which are parallel and spaced apart substantially said given distance, said two pivotal connections being the only connection between said receptacle and said guide and support means and maintaining said receptacle in the same attitude relative to said frame for all positions thereof on said chains and despite off-center loads established by extraction of said inner box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

